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SEO is Too Hard…Whaaah!

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Dynamic Page Solutions

SEO is only hard if you make it hard and changing your attitude from “I’m not a computer programmer” to “I can do this” is really the first step. Okay…picking good keywords and structuring your site properly does require a degree of knowledge, but some of the most powerful SEO simply comes from creating backlinks to your site. And, a lot of the best social media sites are free. One of the biggest factors that Google and the other search engines use to determine page rank for keywords is back links, so why would you pay an exorbitant amount on pay per clicks when you could create organic traffic over time for free?

Composing copy for your real estate website is another way to enhance your Internet presence by using co-occurent terms like house, home and property for sale in such and such community. Throwing in the long tail like golf, condo and luxury also creates keyword buckets on your site. Getting your optimized copy indexed is the trick and the way to do it is by creating backlinks to your site so the search engines will visit and make a record of what is there.

The biggest issue with creating backlinks to your site is finding the time to do it. But like anything in life, what is worthwhile requires some effort and maintenance. Beyond enjoying higher traffic and a lead generating website, a high ranking website creates a life of its own. Once it gets up there, truly organic links start accumulating. People begin to bookmark your site, send your address to a friend or maybe they even blog about it. So back linking is a necessary evil, but there a lot of social media sites that you may consider fun to use like Active Rain. If you're resolute that you will never begin a backlinking campaign for your site, pay someone to do it (us) or pay your college age kid to do it, but really...just do it!    

Posted by

Anita Koppens

Chuck Carstensen
RE/MAX Results - Elk River, MN
Minnesota/Wisconsin Real Estate Expert

I still have not worked hard on the SEO end.  I think its because I attract a lot of sales and dont sit around board often.

Aug 25, 2009 11:05 AM
Dynamic Page Solutions
Dynamic Page Solutions - Mesa, AZ

Hi Chuck,

That's great...I guess you have a large referral base which is a sign of an excellent Realtor. Some real estate professionals have a way to go before they can build a clientele or reputation that will generate a steady flow of business. But, by focusing some efforts on building their web presence, they may be able to catch up to more seasoned Realtors like yourself in a timelier manner.

Thanks for the response.

Aug 25, 2009 11:30 AM
Robert Schwabe
Herron Real Estate - Orange Park, FL
Orange Park Real Estate

That reminds me I need to sit down and go over my website and change some things around.

Aug 25, 2009 02:28 PM
Naoma Doriguzzi
Virginia Beach - Virginia Beach, VA
New Media Director

I have heard the same thing around here.  It is just because they don't understand but hopefully they will catch on soon. 

Aug 26, 2009 12:55 AM
Dynamic Page Solutions
Dynamic Page Solutions - Mesa, AZ

Robert,

Making minor changes in the copy of your website to include lots of variations on real estate terms like I mentioned in the blog post can go a long way. Keep the personal information on the "about me" page and make sure not to keyword stuff. Thank you for joining in the conversation.

Naoma,

Thanks for the comment, I have noticed that the real estate industry as a whole has fallen woefully behind the times with Internet technology. That's a shame when the majority of the homebuyers start on the Internet. There are a savvy few who get the cream of the crop, more power to them.

 

Aug 26, 2009 05:03 AM
Troy Erickson AZ Realtor (602) 295-6807
HomeSmart - Chandler, AZ
Your Chandler, Ahwatukee, and East Valley Realtor

Thanks for sharing this information.  I need to go through and change some things on my website, and learn more about backlinks.

Sep 12, 2009 08:26 AM
Lisa Hill
Florida Property Experts - Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Beach Real Estate

I SOO wish more REALTORS would get their heads out of a hole in the ground, and get with the program. 10 years ago I was telling my associates how important it was to have a web site. They didn't listen. I can't imagine how difficult it will be for them to catch up now!

Sep 12, 2009 04:51 PM
Dynamic Page Solutions
Dynamic Page Solutions - Mesa, AZ

Troy,

I took a look at your website that you have in your profile, it looks like you have plenty of links, but quite a few of them look like link exchanges with other Realtors. This is not a good practice, notice Google's guidelines: Link schemes. Also, if you have a lot of people linked to you that have not developed their sites, they may even drain some of your link juice. DO NOT go back and remove these links though, links that are there and then dissapear may have a negative impact on your site's rank. Just move forward and develop links from quality, authoritative sites such as Active Rain.

Lisa,

It will be difficult for those people to catch up, but I do believe that it is possible if they are truly dedicated and can find progressive technologies that even out the playing field. Thanks for the comment.

Sep 14, 2009 04:53 AM
Rich Cederberg
eXp Realty - Albuquerque, NM
eXp Realty Agent Albuquerque

Anita,

Can you explain what exactly is a back link? Does a link from my LinkedIN profile or my Google profile count?

Oct 10, 2009 04:58 PM